You are here:
GUIDANCE MANUAL FOR IMPLEMENTING MUNICIPAL STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS; PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION
Citation:
Office of Wastewater Management, AND Office of Research and Development. GUIDANCE MANUAL FOR IMPLEMENTING MUNICIPAL STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS; PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION. EPA/600/R-99/021 (NTIS PB99-154965), 1999.
Impact/Purpose:
information
Description:
Urbanization and industrial activities around the country have significantly altered the natural landscape of our Nation's watersheds. This, in turn, has adversely affected both the quantity and the quality of storm water runoff and has contributed to the chemical, physical, and biological impairment of receiving waters. Congress, recognizing the importance of controlling these discharges, passed amendments to the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1987 requiring that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issue regulations addressing storm water discharges under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. According to CWA mandate, municipalities regulated under the NPDES program must, at a minimum, achieve technology-based requirements (i.e., must reduce pollutant loadings in municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) to the "maximum extent practicable" [MEP] and must effectively prohibit non-storm water discharges through their MS4s) as a first step toward achieving loading reductions consistent with applicable water quality standards. The purpose of this manual is to provide practical guidance for municipalities on how to best implement their storm water management programs. This manual is intended to help municipalities through this implementation process for their storm water management program. A basic seven-step planning process described in this report provides a framework for effective decision-making and long-term planning. Municipalities are encouraged to revisit decisions made during Parts 1 and 2 of the permit application process to reassess their overall planning strategies, selected controls, policies, and programmatic measures.
